Table games, especially the table games which simulate athletic games, are well-known to the public generally. These athletic table games are normally played with tokens used to represent the players of the athletic game and the game proceeds following as closely as may be the rules and scoring of the athletic game simulated.
Tennis simulating games are known in which the rules follow the normal rules of play and scoring for tennis. However, in these former games it is not possible to weigh the simulated play to account for relative skills of the players playing the game. It has not been possible in previous games to provide a movable area of influence of the player which would simulate the movement and reach of an actual player.
One simulated tennis game uses a board divided into sections, dice and a rules chart. In it the server does not have to designate the section into which his serve is to go, and there are no dice number differences based upon the position of the selected section. It also lacks the requirement that the receiver position himself without knowing where the volleying player plans to return the ball. These differences are to some extent due to the lack of cards in that game, which in applicant's game may be selected by a player, and confine him to certain results, but are not disclosed to his opponent until his opponent has taken a position. With player's mobility limited, such pre-commitment is important. There are other differences, including the absence of bonus or special cards that can impose additional dice throw odds on the success or failure of a volley. Also it lacks a placement device that shows the area a player may cover.
The present simulated tennis table game allows the players to utilize the scoring rules of the athletic game of tennis. The game has a ball image, tokens chosen to represent the players, the tokens showing handicaps with respect to the token-player's skills in service and volley, the handicap rating of the tokens influencing the play of the game. Thus it is an object of the game to have each player given a preselected handicap at the outset of the game.
The tokens are affixed to a space-occupying member during the play of the game. The space-occupying member defines, in movement over the playing surface, the area of influence of the player on the board analogous to the reach of an actual tennis player. This gives a quickly readable representation to the players of the ability of a receiver to handle shots coming to him. Play of the game alternates just as the stroke of the game of tennis alternates between opponents. Placement of the service and shots of the game is determined by placement-designating instruction cards. It is an object of the invention to provide areas into which a shot is directed in accordance with a card drawn from a deck by an opponent, which areas are divided into different parts, and the ability of the receiving player to return the play is determined by the dice values, under at least some circumstances.
Scoring in the play of the game is determined by odds, generated numerically by rolling the dice, in cooperation with the instructions on the cards and the handicap rating of the player-tokens.